Top of Mind

Tūngia te ururoa kia tupu whakaritorito te tutū o te harakeke. “Set the overgrown bush alight, and the new flax shoots will spring up. Clear the undergrowth so that the new shoots can appear.”

I was talking to a friend recently who has undergone some pretty significant change in their personal life, who said they were having trouble moving forward because they weren’t ready to let go of some of the things that had been a part of them for so long.

After that talk, I reflected on things, particularly about how difficult change can be and how much easier it feels to revert back to ‘how things were’ rather than to let things go.

Anyone who has spent time in HR will know that the most challenging part of any change process can be the letting go. Sure, people are worried about the uncertainty of new ways, but, as in all things, we’re always most addicted to old habits. Many an organisational change programme has been scuttled by the people who rigidly stick with their old ways, refusing to allow the culture and sentiment of their environment shift to something new and capable of growth.

As we’ve been thinking about our Transforming HRM programme and the development of bicultural practice, it has become evident how important it will be to let go of some traditional HR practices to move forward.

The more we’ve explored with those who are actively trying to shift their ways of working, the more we’ve understood about what seems to work in adopting a true bicultural mindset. Māori cultural values aren’t something you can just bolt into your existing policies or practices; they need to be woven in from the beginning; woven in with new ways of working, too, while older ways of working and practising are left behind.

This need to ‘let go’ is also relevant to other issues that HRNZ has been focused on in 2021.

We’re all looking ahead to a post- COVID world. As we consider this, many of us will be anticipating a return to the way things were. We need to accept the world has changed, due to the pandemic, and we shouldn’t wish for or even attempt a return to the past. We’ve changed our thinking about the workplace throughout the pandemic, including where, when and how we work. We’ve learnt about how to use technology better to connect and collaborate. We’ve also changed our understanding of employee wellbeing and how employers can better support workplace wellness. Employee expectations have changed.

The opportunity is to take all of this learning and use it to evolve to a better place. But the first step is to let go of the idea that we’re going back to the way things were. Identifying those things that have stopped serving us well can be a big challenge, and I couldn’t quite bring myself to give my friend this advice at the time. Recognising when to hold and regroup during change, whether it’s you going through it, or supporting others, is crucial, but knowing when to push on is critical, too.

How we greet and embrace change will determine how well equipped we are to deal with the challenges that come from it, and also how well we can take hold of the opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic has given us the opportunity to challenge and change a great deal and has shown us how well we can flourish despite the difficulties we face. I think walking up to challenges with an open mind and the tools to tackle that woody undergrowth will grant us the greatest opportunities of all.

I think that’s the message I’ll share the next time I see my friend.

Nick McKissack Chief Executive HRNZ

Nick.McKissack@hrnz.org.nz